Merry Little Christmas
by Mimi-san
Summary: Ah, the holidays! And what a better way than to throw a huge ball before the vacation? With snow falling and mistletoes hung, sweet love will bloom this year under the starry night. RR
1. Potions and Spies

**Have a Merry little Christmas**

Chapter I _Potions and spys_

_Potions!_ What he dreaded most of all things loathsome and despicable was none other than his Potions class. Not really the subject though… more teacher than anything else. Professor Snape had been on his case since day one when Harry first came here Hogwats. And why not? Harry was none other than the infamous Harry Potter; known to many as 'the boy who lived'. Lived? And what, you might ask, did he survive from? The dark lord, the man, who's name would send trembles down many powerful wizards spine, and to this day, even after the dark lord had been defeated, many still refer to him as 'he-who-should-not-be-named'. Harry on the other hand, didn't ask to be famous and whatnot, because a dire cost was paid with this fame. He lost his parents at such a young age and found that warmth and love was what he lacked for so long, living with his aunt and uncle only amplified his undying thirst for freedom and happiness unlike what he has even felt. He dreaded going home for the holidays and it was all because he couldn't be with his beloved friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. 

BUT this was no time to think about that! If Harry keeps nodding off like he had been for the last half an hour, he's about to get the evil wrath of Professor Snape. 

And as if on cue, Harry's head slip from being propped up by his hand that was also slipping from the table edge. Trying to gain his holding on the table, he knocked over a small flask and made a dive for it before it hit the ground and shatter into a million little pieces but in the process tripped over his own foot and fell out of his chair and landed on the cold floor with a resounding thump. Everyone's gaze swung to the middle row in the middle of the class. Harry almost didn't want to come off as alive. He slowly raised his head and looked to the front of the class and was immediately sorry that did. 

Without even looking over his shoulder or stopping his lecture, Professor said, without missing a beat, "10 points from Gryffindor essay on chapter 24 Potter, on my desk first thing Thursday morning." This got the Gryffindor students all riled up, they started muttering and protesting that they got docked 10 point just because Harry fell out of his chair?! 

"20! And if you all do not understand and contemplate the meaning of 'silent as the dead' for the rest of the class period, then more dire consequences will be established following your actions!" Professor Snape said as he walked to the Slytherin side of the room and mildly smirked which got a strong murmuring of support from the left side of the room. Harry heard a muffled sarcastic, "Fell off your high throne, Potter?" He looked to the front of the class and saw a pathetically happy, smirking Draco Malfoy. 

Harry merely sneered at Draco as he got himself settled into his seat. Great, just peachy! He had exams coming up to study for and he had to be at the quidditch meeting today because…well, that's what team captains have to do. Oh, he's not getting any sleep tonight for sure. 

Snow was in full bloom outside as Hermione walk along the corridor towards the library but stopped abruptly when she saw Seamus Finnegan, Ron, and Harry walking towards the common room. She quietly tucked herself in a corner on in the wall and silently watched them walk by her. This wasn't normal for her to be spying on her best friends but she noticed a big difference in the guy's attitude when she was around and she felt that she needed to just watch them when she wasn't around. 

Her eyes looked over at the three extremely scrumptious and good looking guys who she had known since she was a wee child of 11. There was Seamus, who's had squinty brown eyes and a cute crocked smile. There was Ron, who was like a brother to her, with radiating red hair and a young boyish complexion. Then… there was Harry; the infamous Harry Potter. He was… well… like a brother to her too, but that didn't make him one of the hottest guys on this side of Hogsmede. He had stunning green eyes, a beautiful smile, and unruly hair that looks so sexy-. 

Hermione mentally slapped herself to even think of Harry in that manner. _He's like your BOTHER!! He's been your best friend, the guy that saved you from the mountain troll, protected you from the dementors and... and... have been invading your dreams for over 3 years._ Hermione sighed softly and brought her head up to only to be staring at the opposite wall and hearing the boy's voices diminishing on towards the common room. 

It doesn't help at all that she had actually been trying to act normal around him for the longest time and soon found out that she had to truly go out of her way now a days to not slip anything. She had to keep what she felt a secret. She was nothing like Cho. She wasn't pretty, or athletic, or witty. She was just plain Hermione, one of the 'mates'; nothing more. Just the boring, frizzy haired, bookworm with nothing better to do than study and a mere supporter of the quidditch team. 

Still, even after all the anti-hormonal spells she had been casting on herself, she still felt a radiating, warm, fuzzy feeling every time she and Harry's hand accidentally brush each other. Or when she would be getting ready to sleep in her Head Girl room and she hears him walk into to bathroom that they share; it was like they were actually living with each other and it made her constantly giddy. 

She sighed to herself again and then continued walking towards the library. _Oh, but all these feelings are just going to go to waste. It not like he felt the same way._


	2. Reasons and Favors

  
  
**Have a Merry little Christmas**

Chapter II _A reason and a favor_

"Ron? Hey, would be a mate and bring my stuff upstairs for me, I need to find Hermione about the stupid Potions essay." Harry asked grabbing two pieces of parchment, his quill and then handing his bag over to Ron. 

"Uh-but-" Ron began. 

"Thanks mate!" And before Ron could even breath another word, Harry was already half way down the hall towards the library. 

"Great…" 

"Hi, Ron!" Ron nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around and yet saw another thing that would just top off his night as one of the worse luck nights in a long time. 

"Sorry, Luna, don't have time to talk- got to go- got loads of things to do- bye!" And before Luna Lovegood could say another word, Ron took off faster than a Firebolt. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

"…Hardwood. Hollow on the inside with strings running on the top of the body, wound tightly at the top. Played with a…pick?" 

"Hermione, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." Harry 

stumbled into the room and looked overly whelmed to have found Hermione, books scattered all around her. 

"Wha-?" 

"Well, you see I went to the library but they said you left about an hour ago to go to the common room. Then when I got there two of the girls said that they saw you leave towards the hospital wing but the other one said that they saw you went to the Muggle studies room. So, I checked hospital wing first, which you went present at, and now I checked Muggle studies… and here you are!" Harry finally took a breath and opened his arms apart, gesturing that "here _I _was!" kind of display. 

"Quite an adventure you had there, Harry. And you didn't even get a detention for it!" Hermione said wittily behind books. 

"Ha ha, very funny, Mione." Harry took a seat across from her and began thinking up some ideas to get her to help him with his Potions essay, when he looked over towards the lump of wood that was on her lap. 

"Hey, Hermione, what's that?" Harry asked pointing at the thing on her lap. 

"Wha- oh! This is a Muggle instrument called a guitar. Its components include-" 

"Hermione, I know what a guitar is. I lived with Muggles all my life too, remember?" Harry said lightly smiling as he saw Hermione mouth formed an "O" and nod her head quickly. "And anyway, I know how to play a couple of cords on it too." 

Hermione's eyes now were as big as saucers and she frantically said, "Would you mind playing it for me?" 

Harry hesitated for a second. The only song her knows it this one sentimental romantic song and he didn't want to give Hermione the impression that he was the "sappy" kind of guy. But then he looked at up at her and saw into her pleading chocolate brown orbs and could not deny anything sort of her happiness. 

"Sure." 

Hermione gave a silent cheer as she handed him the instrument from her lap and watch him intently as he loosed his fingers up and adjusted himself comfortable. He strummed a couple of cords and then said sheepishly, "I've only got a chance to play a couple of years ago over the summer. I would sneak out of the house when my uncle and aunt weren't home and went to an old man's house named Mr. Ermstrung. He had an old guitar and let me play with it and practice with it until one day he gave it to me and said that I can keep it but I had to promise him that I was to never come back to see him again. I found out the ever next day at the breakfast table that he had pass on the night before…" Harry's face sunk as he fell into deep thoughts. A moment later he said softly, "Ah well… it's all in the past now." 

"Harry…?" 

"So, I hope you like the song. I think it by this one Muggle group called Habbasunk or Hibbostrank or… something like that." Hermione made a funny face and chuckled to herself lightly as he began to strum on the instrument. 

_"I'm not a perfect person   
As many things I wish I didn't do   
But I continue learning   
I never meant to do those things to you   
And so I have to say before I go   
That I just want you to know..._

As Harry kept playing, he slipped here and there but never did his soft voice stop her heart from fluttering. Each word that came out of his lips were like lyrics that were blessed from the heavens. Hermione could not help but fall hopelessly into the abyss of sweet melody. 

_I've found a reason for me   
To change who I used to be   
A reason to start over new   
and the reason is you_

His mind started to shut off and went into automatic mode. The lyrics just kept falling from his lips and his fingers kept playing as if he was a recorder and merely playing back what he had stored in his memory. Playing so willingly for his audience of one but none the less a crowd for him. His heart hammered in his chest as he said the next set of lyrics. 

_I'm sorry that I hurt you   
It's something I must live with everyday   
And all the pain I put you through   
I wish that I could take it all away   
And be the one who catches all your tears   
Thats why i need you to hear_

As the song went on, Hermione's eyes began to mist over. Its probably really late. That's would explain why her heart clenched when he sang 'I've found a reason to show, a side of me you didn't know, a reason for all that I do...', or even more that her soul almost sang with him when he looked up into her eyes and sung softly, slowly ending the song,"...and the reason is you". 

They were both quiet for the longest time, neither one had the heart to break the comfortable silence. Her racing heart began to slow down as something in his eyes flickered and immediately looked away. Was that... no it can't be. That emotion was not something that Harry would ever display when he was with _her_! But it was there, wasn't it? As she looked up again he was looking and reading something on the back bulletin board with little to no emotion. Inevitably, it was the old grand father clock that rung its heartless chimes through out the school that rang 12 o'clock. 

"Wow... Harry... I didn't know that you... could sing." 

When he didn't reply, she merely busied herself by closing her book that was in front of her."Well, I guess it's getting late. I'm going to turn myself in, how 'bout you Harry?" Hermione asked as she began to gather her things. 

When Harry again didn't answer her, she snapped at him. "HARRY?!" 

Harry immediately broke from his trance state and abruptly turned to her and asked in that same melodious voice, "Would you do me a favor?" 

Hermione looked at his quizzically and then asked cautiously, "What is it?" 

"Would you mind if I escort you to the Snow Ball?" 

**AN:** Thank you all for reveiwing my story. You are really the ones that is keeping this story running!   
See you in Chapter 3: Mysteries and decisions! 


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